Word Three
by Kael011
Summary: Why 'Word Three'. It'll be obvious. Read it. HanaRu. Shounen-ai


DISCLAIMER: Nothing here belongs to me, except the abstractions. There are lines from 'Masquerade' and 'A drop of colour' from Hyde. The characters are from Slam Dunk.

SUMMARY: A Slam Dunk love story.

WORD THREE

Chapter I CONCERT, CONFESSION, KITSUNE

" At ayokong magising/ sa umagang nag-aakit mabuksan/ naninimdim/ di alam walang patutunguhan.." -- Lunes; Spongecola

Wailing. The alarm clock rings for yet another morning, as if reminding the one slouching in the bed of something important. He was awake but still unconscious – brought by the spells of dreaming. He was resting on his side, silently watching the machine go berserk. Amidst the noise, which was already bugging other people , he was still in a place that made him smile.

"I need to talk to you." Hanamichi blurted after five minutes of searching for the right phrasing of words to this ice fox. He was twisting his fingers, giving the impression of a little girl trying to ask someone for something, only he was much taller than most tall people in Kanagawa, and his red hair betrayed innocence – at least that girly childish naïveté. "Huh?" Rukawa muttered, his usual retort to this kind of stuff – someone asking him of something.  
"I said, I need to talk to you" In an instant, the period between the utterance of 'huh?' and the time it reached Sakuragi's brain for comprehension, his attitude changed into an irritated stupid mind-set. His eyes, which conveyed momentarily, some shyness and indecision, now focused with great determination – as if nothing can stop him from getting what he wants.  
"Nani?" Rukawa answered, unperturbed.  
"Go out with me to tomorrow's Christmas concert!" He said, closing his eyes while his face asserted a command. It revealed countless hours of practice, probably in front of a mirror than with anybody else.  
After that, silence – as what always happens with this kind of scene. The two of them being in an empty court showed how Hanamichi carefully planned the whole event, its as if coincidence greatly favored the red hair. Though it appeared like something beyond the capabilities of a dunk-rebound headed guy like him, Sakuragi somehow managed to do it. He caught the elusive Rukawa alone, taking the opportunity when most of his teammates are out on dates. And because Rukawa never misses a practice game – aside from one incident where he fell asleep in the roof and didn't wake up until past midnight – even when he was alone, Sakuragi grabbed this chance to execute his plan.  
It was perfect; the question, the silence and then the disruption. A ball dropped, breaking the scene and eventually pushing the raven boy for an answer. Hanamichi managed to wait for Rukawa's reaction, his mind jumping the border between going blank and raging insanity. "Hn" was what Rukawa said. He then picked the ball that he dropped and started to walk towards the door.  
"What?" Hanamichi shouted, still unable to figure out the meaning of that two-letter word.  
"Sure." Rukawa, in his icy stature repeated.  
Bliss. Sakuragi was speechless. An hour and a half after Rukawa went out, the red haired monkey was still standing in the middle of the gym, grinning like a crazy man. 

"Why the fuck is your alarm clock ringing at ten in the evening?" His mother said in complete irritation after opening his door.  
"Is it ten already?" Hanamichi said, jolting from a continuous dream he experienced yesterday. 'Fuck, I'm already late' Sakuragi thought, completely overlooking his mother while dressing. "Ah, you're going out tonight. I forgot. Very well. By the way, Mito's been calling here a while ago, asking me to curse you. It seemed there was someone waiting for you hours ago." Mrs. Sakuragi calmly said before closing her son's door.  
"Great." He said, his eyes welling up while doing two things at once.

It's all a masquerade/ just who is who, I can't say/ Don't leave me in the cold/ Just who is fake, who's real/ God Bless me!

"Ten more minutes and tomorrow, the world will lose an idiot." Rukawa muttered. He was standing in the middle of Shohoku's football field, and trying hard not to grab someone and beat him to death. He was angry, and it showed intensely in his eyes. His usual stoic attitude was now completely gone, caused by an inconsiderate red hair and his assent to his damn request. 'I don't even like concerts' He said, looking at people who was obviously glancing at him. 'Has Mito already told him that he's been waiting for two fucking hours!' he thought, silently cursing himself for not leaving.

The place was dark, and the song lured most of the crowd to the center, banging their heads and singing along with the band. It was Christmas, and the cold weather didn't prevent students from enjoying this last school stint before their Winter Break. The snow partly covered the ground, and there's still snowflakes falling. It was the best time for lovers. But he was alone, and looked as if waiting for someone– for almost two hours. He can see people taking a fleeting look at him. He was being watched and he knew it. He even heard some of the moronic conversations these students were whispering.  
"Is that who I think he is? Fuck up!" "He's so gorgeous." "Who is he waiting for?" "I bet his girlfriend. Lucky bitch."

Ten minutes passed, and when Rukawa finally decided to leave, he heard, all of a sudden, a familiar song.

Confusion rules this shifting age/ and uproar fills the town/ my thoughts of you are drowning in the noise/ how could you know/ Why should you know me?

"After this song, I am leaving." He said, calming his nerves to listen. He was standing, like a medieval statue and no one could ever guessed that he was actually listening to the band.

How softly, the springtime breezes sing/ how deeply, the distant mountain breathe/ there are so many things to show to you.

Suddenly, Sakuragi arrived. He was panting and his face was burning red. "Gomen… Rukawa…." He barely said, still trying to catch his breath. "Doaho." Rukawa retorted, and went back to listening, stubborn about his decision of leaving after the song.

Sakuragi, feeling everything in his body swell up, staggered close to the fox. 'I hope he won't bite.' He thought. He was still panting. 'Why didn't he left?' his consciousness was floating, apparently it can't handle the tension his body was currently undertaking. He looked at the black haired raven, his body then started to cooperate. His breathing returned to normal, the flush on his face slowly vanished and his body was starting to ease up. But where is his mind, 'Why didn't he left?' he thought.

Oh why does hate bring forth more hate/ A long abandoned fruit/ is hastening the process of decay/ this country's starved, it's void of feeling

'Is he listening to the song?' Sakuragi thought. "Anou.. Rukawa…" He started. "Shut up." The fox icily said. It was so fast Sakuragi couldn't do anything but to obey.  
'He is listening to the song.' The red-hair thought.

How softly, the springtime breezes sing/ how deeply, the distant mountain breathe/ there are so many things to show to you.

They just stood there, listening to the song, and to each other.  
Then it was finished.

TBC….

Read and Review.  
04/12/05

A/N: Why these songs? It's mostly the way it was played, not exactly for the lyrics.  
Will post the next chapter when I finished it. Enjoy. 


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